The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-22

Put In your votes before you leave, Ia
dies, said the inspector, anxiously.
Indeed / won't. I never thought of
this It's the last time I'll ever come to the
polls"
And their appreheasions were not stilled
until we urged infectious John Melville to
retire from the scene. This John did, pro-
testing, however, that his child was better
yesterday and didn't have measles at all.
But his explanation came too late, and he
was forced to stay far away beneath the
trees
DARE NOT FACE THEM.
As nobody was voting and the schoolroom
had become a mere nursery and restaurant,
made my way to the door for breath of
fresh air and a respite from infantile wall
ings. Shouts arose, "a dude! A dude p
and, looking through the trees, saw a man
approaching, leading his horse. He at once
impressed me as the finest physical speci-
men | had seen in the West. Tall and
symmetrical, with classic features and
rudy cheeks, he looked the incarnation of
manly strength and beauty. lie wore store
clothes and a necktie, being much more
deliberately clad than any who had previ-
ously arrived, and was greeted jovially by
the assembled "baches" under the trees, one
of whom pointed slyly to finger marks on
the trousers of the newcomer imprinted in
flour on each side. Evidently he, too, was
bach" and had made biscuits in the in
tervals of toilet duty, wiping his hands in
the usual place with the Inconsistencies of
habit.
ANY women folks here YETI" he asked,
nervously.
The reason of his careful attire was at
once apparent, and everybody grinned. A
young fellow stepped forward promptly.
mo; they hain't come yit. Expect 'em
every minute. Better vote right off, so
they can have the building when they git
here"
An eager chorus rose.
YES, Sam, put i'll your vote and have it
over with"
Sam took one of the proffered tickets and
his friend escorted him toward the door, A
baby voice, suddenly piercing the roof,
brought Sam to halt.
Only Mrs. Smith. She came few min
utes ago with her baby. Waiting for Smith,
guess"
And from a grove at one side the joker
succeeded in marching Sam to the very
door.
Here Sam stopped aghast as he looked in
on the roomful of wives and children His
cheek blanched and he fair staggered back,
tearing from the grasp of his comrade and
crying desperately:
mo! No! | won't go in there!n he re-
treated wildly to his horse.
'Where going, SAM
1--WE got an errand over to Colby's Be
back after while.n
And amid the outlaws of his fellow citi-
zens bashful Sam departed, and was seen no
more. Poor fellow! He lost his vote
II tell you times is changed p commented
a man in blouse and overalls, leaning
against pine when l was boy to home
in Indianny, l recollect hearin NAV and
paw talk the votin' business over.
81 tell ye,' says the old man to her, 4
wouldn't have We go to thepolls nohow You'd
have to walk up to the box through
crowd of loafers all smokin' pipes and
starin' at ye, and you'd sink through the
floor
HE orto be here now and see Sam try to
edge up to the ballot boxl"
THEY VOTE!
But at last, after lunch was eaten and put
away, and the babies had had their maps,
and the ladies had exhausted all the gossip,
a general movement was made toward de
parture 1t was long ways home, and the
cows to milk, and water to draw, and sup
per to get, and the breakfast dishes to wash
at the heels of all.
After such festival one might suppose
the ladies would vote cheerily, but this was
not the case. 1t had been postponed as
long as possible, and now that it must actu-
ally be done they went at it spitefully
Here was husband handing rival tickets
to his wife and saying for the public ear:
You can vote which every you like, at the
same time gripping his own ballot with
resolute air and jaw of such outline as
made one hope his spouse would vote as he
did in the interests of domestic peace. There
a dame was imperatively thrusting on her
husband the Prohibition ticket.
These Prohibition ladies were earnest and
intelligent. They advanced firmly to the
polls and gave in their ballots with an air
of satisfaction. Beyond these few who had
definite personal purpose, the voting was
perfunctory and done with manifest dislike.
The ladies each handed ballot to the in
spector hesitatingly, watched curiously as
he put it in the box, and turned away with
toss of the head.
"There! 1t is the first time l ever voted,
and it'll be the lastr'
81 hope Spokane Falls gets the county seat
so we can stay home next time"
''Yo u men must be growing weak-minded
when you drag an old lady like me out to
vote. I'm 70 years old. Old enough to
know bettern
tired to their wagons. Alas! The perver--
sity of human naturel While many of their
sisters in the East sigh for suffrage, these
who have it hold it in disdain.
ASK HER AGE.
Now came young Tyndall and his wife on
horseback, and there was quite stir among
the ladies who still fingered in the wagons
and the "baches" around the trees Tyndall
had purchased the oldest and largest ranch
in the precinct and had brought a bride
from San Francisco several months before.
Few had seen her, for she was very retired
and aristocratic.
A young woman, with peachy, girlish
face, wealth of blonde hair and round.
bright blue eyes, attired in an elegant riding
habit of dark green velvet with a long plume
on her dainty cap.
''She looks very youngI'' said the inspec-
tor as the couple drew near. do you think
she's old enough to voter
"No, l don't, +" replied one of the Judges.
'Then she ought not to allowedh
You'll have to ask her age" said another
of the judges.
The burly inspector looked corncered and
nervous. More nervous yet as the bride
came in, glanced about, and blushed to find
herself the only women present.
Tyndall whose dress and bearing showed
his wife's arm, and escorted her forward.
He picked out his tickets from the table.
folded one and handed it to her,
folded the other and held it between his
fingers Mrs. Tyndall presented herself be-
fore the ballot box and raised her ticket, un-
certain what came next. Her innocent blue
eyes rested on the inspector with a pretty
look of wonder and inquiry,